One application of security cameras is to conduct surreptitious surveillance. To conduct surveillance surreptitiously a security camera typically needs to remain hidden from the people on whom the surveillance is being conducted. Miniaturizing a camera is one way to help it remain hidden; the smaller the camera, the more locations in which the camera may be placed to conduct the surveillance and the harder it is for the camera to be discovered. A continued focus of the security industry is accordingly miniaturizing security cameras in a manner that is not detrimental to ease of use or installation.
A challenge with miniaturizing security cameras is to maintain the functionality found in larger cameras. For example, adjusting the direction of a lens in the camera is a feature commonly found in security cameras but which presents an engineering challenge in miniaturized cameras.
A challenge to both miniaturized and larger security cameras is adjusting the direction of a lens in the camera when the camera is mounted in a difficult to access location. Conventional cameras typically require a person to carry out several steps and require careful manipulation in order to adjust the direction of the lens; such adjustments can be easily performed when the camera is readily accessible, but can be much more difficult to perform when the camera is mounted in a difficult to access location.